Overtly Political

We are celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and watching as Inauguration Day looms. Therefore, it seems frivolous to write about anything but our protection against violence, bigotry, self-interest, and willful ignorance. Our time, money, words, and ink need to go towards preventing “making America great again.” If “great” means racist, xenophobic, misogynistic, and dangerously selfish, then let’s move in a different direction.

The election season and the last two months tell us that the president-elect intends much of what he promised. He continues to berate the so-called fourth estate for taking him to task, even though they have done so minimally. He is naming individuals to his cabinet whose records speak to the exact opposite of what the cabinet post should entail. He demonstrates to the world that the United States will keep taking, taking, taking from the environment and giving back nothing. He will tank our public education system, already so in need of real reform and smart support. He will continue to fan the flames of sexist, racist, xenophobic, and Islamophobic groups who threaten the lives and safety of many who live in the United States. He will use money intended for our nation for his own personal gain.

In short, this is some dangerous and tragic bullshit. Many of us know it, and many of us are fighting it. I am deeply grateful for the organizations (e.g. the tribes and supporters still standing together at Standing Rock, ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, Planned Parenthood) and the individuals (people whom I know and don’t know) who are not giving up and who are actively contributing to the research and protest necessary to avoid grave regression in our nation. Thank you.

In the meantime, we have formed a group of small-time activists, relative rookies, who are working to stem the tide of destruction. It has been interesting to see friends from faraway working on similar initiatives. Our group continues to learn from national, regional, and local organizations, such as Wall-of-Us, MoveOn, Black Lives Matter, National Organization for Women, the Democratic Latino Organization of Virginia, Indivisible, etc.

Our group is 50 Ways-Rockbridge, and here is our information:

50 Ways-Rockbridge is a group of concerned citizens from Rockbridge County, Virginia, working together to research, educate, and act on major political issues that affect all of the 50 United States, especially Virginia and our local area. Our guiding principles are inclusion and fairness.

50 WAYS participants work on one or more of these seven main issues*:

President-elect’s business conflicts of interest

Health Care

Civil liberties / 1st Amendment

Voting districts

Climate change

Consumer protection

Immigrant rights and advocacy

*The group also encourages activism on other major issues.

As a 50 WAYS participant, you can choose to be:

Active: phone calls/e-mails to officials or institutions about issues, as directed by an Issues Coordinator

Quite active: attend a 50 Ways meeting every three weeks, and phone calls/e-mails to officials or institutions

Very active: Choose to oversee an issues group, i.e., be an Issues Coordinator, and all of the above.